What Could Have Been
by FictionFan83
Summary: A face from the past re-awakens feelings Mark Greene thought he had buried a long time ago. Just a little piece of nostalgia. Please R&R.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey everyone! This is my first attempt at fan fiction so please be kind. All constructive criticism graciously accepted so please r & r.**

**Since this is the final season I got a bit nostalgic and decided to write a "what could have been" story about two of my all time favourite characters. Hope you enjoy it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or the programme, it is just a bit of wishful thinking.**

**Rating: K, just to be on the safe side.**

**Title: What Could Have Been.**

**Summary: A face from the past re-awakens old feelings that Mark thought he had buried long ago.**

She stood across the street quietly watching as ambulances pulled up, unloading patients onto eager residents and their med students and then stared as they sped away to pick up the next unfortunate soul who needed their assistance. As she stood there staring she silently mulled over her decision to return. Was she glad she was back? She didn't know. Was it going to work out this time? She wasn't sure. Would everything have changed since she left? More than likely. Would he still be there? She hoped so. Did she still love him? Of course she did. Was this where she belonged? Definitely.

She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp autumn air and smiled. She was home again.

She slowly walked across the street towards the sliding doors she had entered hundreds of times. As the hustle and bustle of the busy ER enveloped her any doubts she still had evaporated instantly.

She approached the admit desk cautiously. The unfamiliar clerk looked at her impatiently.

"Can I help you?" He asked in a brusque manner.

"Can you tell me where I can find Dr Greene?" She asked.

"If you want to see a doctor you are gonna have to take a number and wait in line like everyone else" He answered in an exasperated tone as he turned away from her to answer the phone.

Her eyes began scanning her surroundings in the hope that he would appear from somewhere. Just as she was about to turn to go in search of him she caught sight of him backing out of exam 3 closely studying a patient's chart. Unconsciously, she held her breath as he slowly turned in her direction. Then almost as if he had sensed her presence he looked up from the chart and stared right into her eyes as his mouth fell open slightly.

He looked exactly as she remembered him the last time she saw him. Her stomach fluttered at the sight of him. The slightly shocked expression on his face and the flicker of amazement in his eyes warmed her heart.

She smiled at him as he stood there speechless. He blinked as if he was trying to figure out whether the woman who stood before him was real or if she was just a figment of his imagination. As realisation dawned on him that it was in fact her, a rush of emotion swept over him. All the feelings that he believed he had buried so long ago instantly invaded his brain.

He carefully stepped towards her, afraid that if he advanced too quickly she would disappear. As he got closer his steps quickened, as did his heartbeat. He had almost forgotten the effect she had on him. Those eyes, that smile, so many memories came rushing back to him. It was as if the time in his life that she had been a part of was flashing before his eyes.

As he finally reached her the last memory to pass through his mind was the kiss, the one perfect kiss that they had shared so long ago. The sweetest, softest, most passionate kiss of his whole entire life.

Without saying a word he automatically put his arms around her and pulled her close to him, afraid to let go in case she left him again.

She gladly accepted his close embrace and silently heaved a sigh of relief that there was no tension caused by the way that she had left him. She almost been afraid of what his reaction to her return would be.

As they reluctantly parted they looked deep into each other's eyes and it was like time had stopped. They were only conscious of each other; the hectic ER had faded into the background.

"You have no idea how good it is to see you." He said with a huge grin on his face.

"I have missed you so much" She replied slowly, her eyes never leaving his.

"I missed you too Susan"


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I don't own them.**

Suddenly they were brought back to reality by the sound of a trauma bursting through the doors. Mark made Susan promise to wait in the lounge for him.

As he walked out of the trauma room he suddenly became nervous. Those few minutes they had shared in the middle of the ER had been heavenly but he was all too aware of the things of a serious nature they were going to have to talk about now the initial reunion was over.

Endless questions tumbled through his mind as he approached the lounge. Why was she here? Was she back for good? What did she want their relationship to be? He realised that for all he knew she could be married with kids by now. If this was the case then he hoped her husband knew that he was the luckiest guy in the world. Although he knew he was getting way too ahead of himself one question was constantly running through his brain. Was she still in love with him? He did not dare get his hopes up about that one, because God knows he could not bear it if she broke his heart again.

Unbeknown to him Susan was on the other side of the door trying to deal with similar inner turmoil. Although he had responded very well to seeing her she was still very much aware of the fact that when she had left she had broken his heart. After arriving in Phoenix she had endured many sleepless nights as her mind replayed the events of the day she left Chicago, her old life, the day she left him. On more than one occasion she had almost booked a train ticket back but she was too afraid of how he would react. She had spoken to him once or twice but the pain she heard in his voice had discouraged her from calling him again. She thought of the strained conversations on the phone which had led to her realising that she had destroyed the entire relationship they had shared. Not only had she lost her soul mate but she had lost her best friend too. Many times she questioned her decision to leave, but she always came to the same conclusion, yes she was in love with Mark but she loved Susie like she was her own child so her priority had to be her.

She was interrupted from her train of thought as the lounge door swung open and he entered slowly. She stood up and again he wrapped his strong arms around her. As they separated she smiled up at him.

"So how long are you in town for?" He asked, silently hoping she would say "forever".

"Well that kind of depends"

"Depends on what" he asked expectantly.

"On you" As she said it a whole rainbow of emotions passed over his face and she worried that perhaps she had said the wrong thing.

"I... I uh mean, uh well I mean on whether or not you are looking for a new attending?"

As soon as she corrected herself he felt his hopes being dashed. He knew it was too much to wish for, that after all this time she would still want him, that perhaps maybe, just maybe she had come back to be with him.

"Hey you know what this place is like, we are always looking for good docs and if memory serves me right you are one of the best" He replied with a smile.

"Well what can I say, I learned from the best"

He smiled softly.

"In that case when can you start?"

"You're serious? You are gonna give me a job just like that?" She questioned.

"Well it's not exactly a difficult decision to make. You know that as far as I am concerned you will always have a place here." He desperately wanted to add "with me" but decided against it in case he scared her off.

She flung her arms around him and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you so much for this Mark, you are the best. "

He blushed slightly and felt his heart rate quicken as her soft lips brushed his cheek. He could feel his skin tingle where she had kissed him.

He tried desperately to regain his composure. As he was about to speak the lounge door opened and Carter and Abby walked. Judging by the tension between them they had obviously been having some sort of disagreement.

They stopped suddenly as they saw Mark embracing someone.

"Uh sorry Dr Greene, we didn't realise anyone was in here". Carter stammered.

As he spoke Susan stepped back from Mark. As soon as Carter saw her he smiled.

"Dr Lewis, what are you doing here? Uh I mean it's great to see you."

"Well don't just stand there Carter. It's been almost 5 years; don't I even get a hug?"

He quickly walked over to her and they embraced.

"You look great Dr Lewis"

"Thanks Carter, and by the way you can call me Susan now that you are a grown up proper doctor!"

He laughed.

"I guess old habits die hard. So how have you been? What brings you back to town?"

"Really good thanks. I decided it was time to revisit my misspent youth and anyway you know what this place is like, you never really leave."

Mark stood back watching the easy interaction between Susan and Carter and felt a small pang of jealousy. Although things between them had been easy so far there was still some slight tension between them. He also noted that while he was slightly jealous Abby looked just about ready to explode. She stood rigidly behind Carter pouting. As if on cue Carter turned to her.

"Oh Abby, sorry, this is Susan Lewis. Susan this is Abby Lockhart. Susan was a resident here when I was a med student." He explained. "She was an amazing teacher."

Abby could tell from the look in Carter's eyes that there was perhaps more to the relationship than it just being a student teacher thing. Though Susan was not displaying any signs to indicate there had been something more between them. Still Abby felt herself bristling at the thought of this woman being another obstacle in the path of their relationship.

"It's nice to meet you Abby" Susan said as she stepped forward to shake Abby's hand.

"You too" Abby returned the gesture.

"If he ever gives you a hard time let me know because I have got plenty of dirt on him that you can use" Susan said to break the mounting tension.

Abby laughed.

"Well I will certainly keep that in mind."

Mark laughed inwardly at the scene in front of him. He remembered the very obvious crush that Carter had on Susan when he was a med student. As he cast his mind back he felt his jealousy subside as he recalled how Susan had never, at any point, shown any interest in Carter.

"So are you back for good then?" Carter enquired.

"Well it sure looks that way. Mark offered me an attending's position so I'm here to stay"

"Well in that case we should celebrate. Are you free tonight?"

"Uh, sure, I guess so. What did you have in mind?"

"We could all go to dinner. Abby, Dr Greene, what do you think?

"Yeah, sounds good to me" Mark replied. He was pleased to have the chance to spend some time with Susan though he could have done without an audience.

"Ok" Abby replied in a slightly strained tone.

"Excellent. I will make the arrangements and let you guys know the plans"

Just then Carter's pager began to beep, as did Abby's.

"Gotta go, see you guys later"

Carter exited the lounge closely followed by Abby.

"So...alone again" Susan said.

"Yeah" He laughed nervously. "I was kinda hoping we could have spent some time together, you know, just us."

"Me too" She looked at him. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" She smiled mischievously.

"Ditch them?"

"Ditch them" She confirmed.

"Ok I will deal with Carter. Are you staying with your parents?"

She nodded "It's only temporary though thank god. I forgot how stressful living with Henry and Cookie can be. Honestly if I have to listen to them argue over the remote control for the TV one more time I'm gonna scream! I feel like I'm fifteen again.

Mark laughed. "How about you come over to my place and I will order pizza. Extra pepperoni, right?"

"I can't believe you still remember"

"How could I ever forget anything about you?"

At that moment they both looked into each other's eyes, both willing the other to make the first move. The spell was broken by a nurse entering the lounge to tell Mark he was needed in the trauma room.

"I guess I better go"

"Yeah. I'll see you tonight then"

"Sure. See you then" He practically had to force his feet to move.

As she watched him walk to the door her head was buzzing. What the hell almost happened there? She thought to herself. Already the anticipation of the night to come was getting to her. She could hardly wait.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately I don't own any of them.**

As she walked along the sidewalk towards his apartment she inwardly chuckled to herself. I can't believe he still lives here, she thought, all this time has passed and he still lives in my old apartment. She wondered what it would feel like to walk through the door and see all of his stuff there. Letting her mind wander a little she wondered what it would have been like if she had stayed. Maybe it would have been _their _apartment, or maybe by now they would have had a house, been married with a couple of kids, a nice big backyard, maybe even a dog... "No Susan!" she chided herself. "Don't do this. You have no right to think about any of those things. You were the one who walked away. You were the one who ruined it" Before she realised it she was standing in front of his building. She stopped and took a deep breath before heading towards the door.

Mark had been pacing up and down in the sitting room since he had got home from work an hour ago. It felt as if he had been waiting for an eternity for her to arrive. "I've been waiting almost five years for this" He thought, "That is an eternity" He looked at the clock for the hundredth time. It said 7.22. She will be here any minute now. His nerves were starting to get to him again. He kept trying to remind himself that it was only Susan. It would be fine. Why was he getting himself into a state over dinner with Susan? She was his best friend. They had, had dinner together countless times so what was different about this time? "You love her you idiot, that's why you are so nervous" his mind screamed at him. Part of him still couldn't believe how intense his feelings for her were. He never expected to feel so strongly about her after so much time had passed.

He was startled from his thoughts by the sound of the buzzer. He quickly pushed the button to open the door. Seconds later he heard a soft chap at the door. He opened the door and was greeted by a sight that almost took his breath away.

She stood before him with her hair blonde hanging loosely over her shoulders, framing her face. The pale blue scarf she had wrapped round her neck complimented her emerald green eyes. He stood there dumbstruck. She looked at him expectantly.

"So are you gonna ask me in or are we just gonna stand here and freeze our asses off?"

"Oh yeah, uh come in" He stuttered.

He moved aside to let her in. She slowly stepped inside the apartment.

"Well this is definitely a blast from the past. I cannot believe you still actually live here!"

"Yeah well I couldn't bring myself to move" It was all I had left to you, he thought to himself.

"I like what you've done with place. "

She smiled as she took in her surroundings, he had obviously tidied up for her coming over because this certainly did not look like an average guy's messy apartment, but then again Mark was not an average guy. He was one of those guys who if you were lucky enough to get him you would be thanking whatever higher power existed everyday for bringing him into your life. She reminded herself for the millionth time what an idiot she was for leaving him.

"You are much better at housekeeping than I am. When I lived here the whole place looked like a bomb had hit it!"

"Aww come on, it wasn't that bad"

"Are you kidding me or do you have amnesia?! When I had little Suzie you couldn't walk from one room to the next without tripping over stuff"

"It was organised chaos."

"Yeah right!" She looked at him. "How do you that?"

"Do what" He asked.

"Always know exactly what to say"

He shrugged "It's a gift"

She laughed. This was going easier than she had thought it would. Although she knew they still had a difficult conversation to have.

As the silence settled between them he couldn't take his eyes off of her. He knew what was coming next, the conversation about why she left. He didn't really want to talk about it. It was in the past, he had moved on from the pain her departure had caused him. He just wanted to focus on the future, _their_ future, he hoped. He was well aware that it was his lack of action that had led to her leaving. He knew that if he had told her how he felt sooner then she probably would have stayed. He was not about to make that mistake again. He had lost enough in the past by sitting on the sidelines and not taking chances. This time was going to be different. A tiny part of him was worried that perhaps he was not what she wanted anymore but he knew if she loved him half as much as he loved her then the time that had passed since they last saw each other would not have changed her feelings.

As she watched him she knew he was silently debating something. She decided it was time to give him an explanation for her actions five years ago.

"Mark I think we need to..."

As she started to speak his heart and his head screamed at him to do something. "Screw it" he thought. "Now or never, now or never" In three strides he was standing in front of her and before she had a chance to finish what she was about to say his lips crashed onto hers.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for the reviews. This chapter is for you guys. Sorry it has taken so long for me to update, having to work for a living has been taking up too much of my time!! Hope you like it.**

The instant his lips touched hers she felt something inside her awaken. It was as if the part of herself she had left behind when she got on the train that day had finally been returned to her. Suddenly she could not even form a coherent thought and found herself completely lost in the kiss.

For a second when he kissed her Mark feared that perhaps he had been too bold, but as soon as he felt her respond a sense of relief washed over him. For once he had taken a chance and it had actually paid off. Aside from the birth of his daughter this was the most amazing moment he had ever experienced. With each second that passed he felt his broken heart begin to mend piece by piece.

After several minutes had passed the need for each of them to breath forced them to break the connection. As they stood there breathless, inches apart staring into each others' eyes neither of them knew what to say.

Suddenly Mark began to panic. What if this wasn't what she wanted? Maybe she just got caught up in the moment and didn't want to hurt him again by pushing him away. As his eyes searched hers for the answers to his unasked questions Susan could see the panic begin to cloud his face. Tentatively she reached up and touched his face to calm him. Her touch immediately had the intended effect on him and he felt the knot that had formed in his stomach slowly disappear.

Slowly and with renewed confidence he found his voice.

"For a second there I thought I had over stepped the mark."

She smiled "I was too afraid to even hope that you still had feelings for me. After the way I left I was kinda worried that you would be mad at me....."

Before she could continue he placed a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Now that you are back I don't want to waste any time analysing the past and wondering about the what could have beens. We both made mistakes back then but that's all in the past. All I want to focus on is the present, right here, right now and the way I feel right now. The way you make me feel. It has been so long I had almost forgot how intense the feeling was." As he spoke his eyes never left hers for a single moment.

"And as for being mad at you," he continued, "sure I was hurt when you left but I could never be mad at you Susan." Slowly he looked down and took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to say next. As he raised his head his gaze fixed upon her. As he mustered all the courage and emotion he could he said what he had wanted to say to her since the instant he saw her standing in the ER.

"I love you."

For the first time in 5 years he said those three little words and truly meant them. He watched as a single tear rolled down her cheek. As he pulled her into a warm embrace he heard her whisper,

"I love you too."

His arms instinctively tightened around her as his heart began to swell and a huge grin spread across his face. "She said it back", he thought to himself "She said it back, and this time she wasn't leaving. She was exactly where she belonged, in Chicago, in his apartment, but most importantly in his arms.

At that precise moment in time Mark Greene felt more at peace with the world than he had in his entire life.


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok here goes another chapter. Again this is dedicated to those who took time to review. Let me know what you think.**

**Disclaimer: Still don't own them ********.**

Mark and Susan spent hours sitting curled up together on the couch talking. They had the last five years of each others' lives to catch up on. He told her about being attacked at the hospital and the effect the terrifying experience had had on him. Unbeknown to him Susan had already heard about what had happened from Carol. When Carol had called her she had almost dashed back to Chicago to be by his side but in the end decided against it because she did not want to cause him any further pain. Mark also told her about Doug leaving just before Carol found out she was pregnant and how it had all worked out in the end when Carol had taken the twins to Seattle to be with him. Susan quietly chuckled.

"What?" Mark asked looking at her questioningly.

"I don't know how they didn't realise years ago that they were meant for each other. I mean it was so glaringly obvious to everyone who knew them that they were made for each other." Susan replied.

Mark laughed. "The same could be said about us!"

She turned to look at him with a sad smile.

"But hey we got there in the end too." He continued. "Well that is assuming we are together now."

"Since we spent the best part of the evening making out on your couch I would assume that we are most definitely together. I'm not in the habit of kissing random guys for no reason Dr Greene!"

"Glad to hear it Dr Lewis."

He sat up and looked at her sincerely. "I am so glad you came back"

"Me too. I just wish I had done it sooner."

"Hey, you are here now and that is all that matters. This our time and it is going to be amazing."

She leaned towards him and they became lost in each others' embrace again.

The night wore on with more reminiscing and plenty of laughter. They both felt so good being in the others' company again. It dawned on Susan that even though they had been apart for a long time and their lives had taken different paths when they were together it was as if nothing had changed. In a way it felt like the last few years hadn't happened. Despite all of her concerns about how he would react to her return deep down she had known that he would accept her back into his life. Although she never imagined that this was how they would end up after seeing each other for the first time in five years. She knew she had made the right decision.

When Mark looked at the time he could not believe it was almost midnight. The whole day had passed in a complete blur and he was sure he had experienced just about every emotion in the spectrum since she had walked back into his life that afternoon. Susan noticed him glancing at the clock. Realising the time she sat up slowly. His attention immediately returned to Susan when he felt her moving away from him.

"Where are you going?"

"It's late; I should head back to the fun factory that is Mom and Pop Lewis's." She answered in that sarcastic tone that always made him smile.

"Oh yeah...sure." He replied trying not to sound too disappointed.

He got up and followed her to the door.

"I'm off tomorrow if you want to maybe go out somewhere?"

She grinned. "Are you asking me on a date?"

"Well, uh, yeah, sure. If that's ok?" He stuttered

"Sounds like a plan." She replied before capturing his lips in a slow meaningful kiss.

The kiss quickly became more passionate and neither one of them wanted it to end. As they parted breathlessly they looked into each others' eyes. They both knew what they wanted to happen next but neither one of them wanted to appear presumptuous. Mark knew it was glaringly obvious what he had in mind. He also knew that there was no way she had not noticed the reaction his body was having to her. "What the hell" He thought to himself. "I have waited years for this and I feel like I am going to burst" Before he had any more time to think about he said the word she had wanted to hear.

"Stay" It was more of a request than a question.

"Geez Mark what took you so long?!" She said before kissing him again.

As the kiss deepened they began feverishly trying rid each other of the only barrier still between them. In a matter of minutes there was a trail of hastily scattered clothes from the front door to the bedroom. Once they had made it onto the bed they both hesitated slightly. Mark couldn't even remember being this nervous his first time. Susan gazed up at him slightly worried that he had changed his mind.

"Are you ok?" She asked him quietly. "We don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No I want to. I _really_ want to. I just want it to be perfect."

"It's already perfect, I'm with you."

As soon as Susan said those words he knew she was right. He also knew that what had been one of the most amazing days of his life was going to be **the **most amazing night of his life.

As they began exploring each others' bodies nothing else mattered to either of them and as far as they were both concerned there was nothing that could shatter this blissful happiness that they had found together...........or was there?

**Please, please, please hit the review button and let me know what you think.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks for the reviews guys, they are very much appreciated. I am trying to update as often as possible so don't give up on me. Real life is interfering yet again!!**

**Disclaimer: Still not mine.**

Dawn was Mark Greene's favourite time of day. The first beams of sunlight filtered into the room as he lay in his bed, eyes still closed but no longer in the deep peaceful slumber he had been in. As he lay perfectly still the events of the last 24 hours replayed in his not fully conscious mind. As he thought about the night he had spent with the woman he loved more than any other the small smile that had begun to form on his lips quickly developed into a full blown grin. How many nights had he imagined what it would be like to wake up with her in his arms? As this thought entered his mind he suddenly realised that she was not in his arms. Panic swept over him as his eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in his bed. His heart was racing. It couldn't have been a dream he thought to himself. Sure he had dreamt of her many times but it had all been so real. He could still taste her kisses on his lips, feel her hands on his skin, hear her whisper his name. It couldn't have been a dream he reminded himself.

At that exact moment he heard soft footsteps padding through the apartment. The feeling of utter relief that washed over him when she walked into the room was indescribable. She stood in the doorway wearing one of his t-shirts and his boxer shorts looking at him questioningly.

"Are you ok?" She asked.

"Yeah it's just when I woke up and you weren't here I thought I had dreamt the whole thing." He answered with relief evident in his voice.

"I was thirsty so I went to get a drink" She said with a small smile. "I can't believe you thought you dreamt last night! It was that good, huh?"

"Well it wouldn't be the first time I dreamt about us." He replied.

She feigned shock. "Are you telling me that you have had dreams of a.......adult nature about us Dr Greene?"

"Maybe a couple....." She looked at him. ".....of hundred." He grinned.

She slowly walked back towards the bed. As she sat down next to him she asked. "So did last night live up to your dreams then?"

"It was ok I guess." He said trying to sound nonchalant.

She picked up a pillow and threw it at him. "Well in that case maybe I should just go back to Phoenix then."

He moved quickly and effortlessly pinned her down on the bed with his body. "You are going nowhere Dr Lewis." He said as he began to trail kisses down her neck. "Besides the dream always ended before morning came. So whatever happens is gonna be a totally new experience for me."

"In that case we better teach your imagination a thing or two." She replied teasingly as she claimed his lips once again.

When Mark woke again a few hours later he was relieved to find her sleeping peacefully in his arms. "Finally!" He thought to himself. As much as he would have quite happily spent the rest of his life laying there with her his stomach reminded him that he had other needs too. He quietly slipped out of the bed, pulled on his sweats and tiptoed to the kitchen. After spending several hours working up an appetite breakfast in bed would, literally, be just what the doctor ordered. He quickly turned the stove on and busied himself making pancakes. He turned the radio on and hummed along to the love song that was playing. He could not wipe the grin off of his face. He finally knew what it felt like to be completely happy. He had a great job, a lovely daughter and the woman he had wanted for so long that he could not remember _not_ wanting her. "I am the proverbial man who has everything." He thought to himself.

Just as Mark thought how his life was at last complete he heard his apartment door open. He turned quickly to see who the person was that had interrupted this blissful moment in his life. As his eyes met hers the only six words he could muster left his lips.

"Elizabeth what are you doing here?"

"I missed you. We belong together and I should never have left. But I am back now and I want us to be together more than anything. I want us to be a family" She rambled. "I'm pregnant........I love you."

With those five words Mark felt his whole world crumble and his dreams turn to dust.

**I thought I would add a bit of drama since, unfortunately, we do not live in a perfect world. Please review.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Ok here we go with the next chapter. This one is dedicated to my new e-mail buddy, whose kind words and encouragement convince me to keep writing this. Enjoy!!!**

Susan woke up the second she felt the warmth of his body separating from her own. She lay in the tangled sheets silently listening as he pottered about in the kitchen. She smiled when she realised he was making breakfast for them. Again she questioned herself about why she had left in the first place. She knew he was right though, the past no longer mattered, it is the future that is important. All she could think about was how awesome the future would be for both of them if this worked out. What was she thinking? Of course this would work out. It was her and Mark and they were meant to be together. She knew it 5 years ago and she was absolutely certain of it now. As she recalled her time in Phoenix she realised that none of the friendships or relationships she had had there even came close to the bond that her and Mark shared. They were meant to be together. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the apartment door closing and the sound of an unfamiliar voice, a woman's voice.

"I'm pregnant......I love you."

The words Susan heard spoken rang loudly in her ears. The perfect little bubble she had existed in for the past 24 hours had suddenly been unceremoniously burst. She felt as if the room was spinning and she didn't know whether to laugh, cry or throw up.

Mark stood there utterly astounded. He had no idea what to say or do. He chided himself for his lack of response and his sudden amnesia regarding his relationship with Elizabeth. Though he wasn't even sure it was a relationship anymore. She had left him, hey was that like some kind of theme in his life, to go back to London to work with her father. He desperately searched his memory trying to remember the day she had left. They had parted on good terms, as friends. Technically all they had ever been was friends, sure they were friends 'with benefits' but for Mark it had always been about companionship and probably, if he was completely honest, about his fear of ending up alone. Yeah he cared about Elizabeth, maybe even loved her but he was not _**in**_ love with her. After all his heart well and truly belonged to someone else, it belonged to Susan.

"Shit" he thought to himself, Susan was still asleep in the bedroom. "What the hell am I going to do?"

All the while Elizabeth stood patiently waiting for a reaction to her announcement.

"Well don't just stand there Mark, say something."

Still no response.

"Say anything!" She continued.

"Uh.....now is not really a good time Elizabeth."

"Not a good time?! Are you kidding me!" Her voice became louder. "I have just flown thousands of miles to tell you that I love and that we are going to have a baby and that is the best you can come up with?!"

Mark stared at her blankly. What could he say? That the love of his life was lying in his bed and they had spent hours making love? That her little announcement made him want to scream? Wait that wasn't fair, this whole mess was not the baby's fault. Baby. The word resounded in his head.

Susan frantically searched for her clothes. She had to get out of there right now. Her mind was buzzing with questions. How could he not mention he was in a relationship? Had nice, kind, sweet Mark Greene turned into one of those selfish guys who want to have their cake and eat it? What was going to happen next? Where the hell was her sweater? But most importantly how many bones would she break if she tried to escape out of the window? As she quietly searched the room she caught a glimpse of the sweater she had been wearing lying in the kitchen. At least one of her questions had been answered. As for climbing out the window, she knew that would result in quite a few broken bones so that was not an option. Now she had to decide what was the lesser of two evils - walk out there in her bra and jeans or walk out wearing something of Mark's. Screw it she thought as she pulled on one of his t-shirts and walked out of the room.

As soon as Mark heard her footsteps he spun around. He realised that whichever one of the gods had blessed him yesterday had clearly decided to curse him today. Elizabeth visibly tensed at the sight in front of her. As Susan walked into the living room she deliberately avoided making eye contact with Mark. He could see the pain etched on her face and the knowledge that he was the cause of that pain broke his heart.

"Sorry to interrupt but I should get going. Thanks again for letting me crash here Mark, it was great catching up. Sorry you had to sleep on the couch." Susan knew that she was lying but she was doing anything she could to limit the damage that had been caused. Mark felt a lump form in his throat. He had messed up big time and here she was desperately trying to save his ass. The only obstacle that stood between Susan and getting the hell out of this mess was Elizabeth who was still standing in front of the door.

Elizabeth eyed Susan suspiciously. "Aren't you going to introduce me to your _friend_ Mark?" As soon as Elizabeth said the word friend Susan knew they had been busted.

"Uh Elizabeth this is Susan..." Before Mark could finish Susan quickly said hi to Elizabeth and made her excuses as she headed towards the door, still not daring to look into Mark's eyes. As the door closed behind her she felt the tears well up in her eyes. She ran downstairs and thankfully got a cab straightaway. Once she was home she went straight to bed sobbed until she fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Ok this is going to be the last chapter. I have really enjoyed writing this story and again I want to thank everyone who took the time to review it. I hope you have all enjoyed reading it and I really hope you will all like the ending.**

Mark woke up suddenly. He had been dreaming again, dreaming of the day that had changed his life forever. It had been almost 18 months since that day but in all honesty, to Mark, it seemed like a different lifetime. So much had happened since then that he wasn't sure how they had all got through it relatively unscathed. He sincerely hoped that everyone involved had ended up happy.

As he sat there lost in his thoughts he heard a whimper coming from the nursery. His son was awake and judging from the time of the morning he was probably hungry. Just as he was about to get up and see to him he heard his wife's voice filter through the baby monitor.

"Hey baby boy don't cry, mommy's here, its ok." He heard her soothe him. _His_ wife, he repeated the words in his head, he still couldn't believe that they were married. Never in his wildest dreams did he imagine they would end up married with a child. He knew that deciding to be with her had been the right thing to do.

He got up and slowly walked into the nursery. He stood silently in the doorway watching his wife nurse their son. As she sat on the rocking chair cradling the baby she softly began to sing to him. Mark smiled when he heard the song she was singing; it was one of his favourites, Blackbird by The Beatles. He began to walk over to them.

When she heard him approach she stopped singing and looked up at him. "Have you been standing watching us again? Honestly Mark if you weren't my husband I would think you were some kind of weirdo!"

"What, a guy can't watch his family?" He questioned innocently.

She smiled at him. "Of course you can, I just hate it when you creep up on me!"

She looked down at the baby. "Well it looks like somebody is finally full." She gently sat Matthew up and rubbed his back to break his wind. Once he was finished he settled back into his mother's arms and went back to sleep. She stood slowly and gently placed him back in his crib. Mark bent down and placed a kiss on his son's forehead. He stood back up and wrapped his arms around his wife. "I love you so much Susan." He said before kissing her softly. "I love you too." She replied, returning his kiss. The kiss soon became more passionate. He hesitantly pulled back slightly. "Maybe we should move this into our room." He said breathlessly. "Definitely." She replied as she took his hand and led him to their bedroom.

An hour later he lay with her wrapped in his arms. She had dozed off but he was too wired to sleep. He gently stroked her arm as his mind drifted back to the day she told him she was pregnant. It wasn't long after Elizabeth had found out that her pregnancy was ectopic. After everything that had happened both of them had been a tiny bit relieved because they knew the situation they were in was far from ideal for raising a baby. At the same time, however, they were still mourning the loss of their child. Thankfully Elizabeth had recovered well from the surgery and there was no lasting damage. She had left soon afterwards to return to London and again they parted on good terms, as friends. She had sent a gift basket when Matthew was born and with the card had come an invitation to her wedding. Mark was pleased that she had found someone and was happy.

His reaction to Susan's pregnancy was far different to the reaction he had when Elizabeth told him she was pregnant. When the words left Susan's mouth he thought his heart was going to explode with joy and he had barely stopped grinning since. At the time things between them were still a little strained because of everything that had happened since Susan had returned. They had only spent that one night together but obviously one night was all it took for them to create a new life. He thought about how nervous she was about telling him. She had already known for a couple of weeks before she worked up the courage to tell him.

**Flashback**

_Susan ran as quickly as she could to the ladies room. She made it into one of the stalls just in time to empty the contents of her stomach down the toilet. Once she was finished retching she leaned back against the wall as the tears began to fall again. Mark had seen her rush into the bathroom and decided to go and see if she was ok. They had been avoiding talking about the whole situation and he was sure that the fates had intervened yet again to keep them apart. Even if they couldn't be together he was still her friend and he knew she had been acting strangely for the last few weeks._

_As he entered the bathroom he could hear her muffled sobs. He approached the cubicle slowly. "Susan, are you ok?"_

_As soon as he said the words the stall door opened and she rushed past him wiping her tear stained face. She went over to the wash hand basin and splashed cold water on her face. He stood quietly watching her. She looked at his reflection in the mirror. "I'm fine, just feeling a little bit off today that's all." She replied trying to force a smile._

"_That is not all. I know you Susan and I know something is wrong. Talk to me please." He pleaded with her._

_She looked at him. "Ok but I don't want you to say anything until I am finished." He nodded signalling for her to continue. _

_She took a deep breath. "I found out a couple of weeks ago that I am pregnant. I haven't told you before now because I know that you and Elizabeth have been going through a horrible time and, believe me, I am really sorry about that and I hope everything works out for you two." Mark went to speak but Susan held her hand up to stop him. She continued. "When I found out I didn't know what to do but I do know that I want to have this baby more than anything. I am not asking you for anything Mark, I can do this on my own but you are the baby's father and you have a right to know." She looked up at him trying to gage his reaction. Without saying a word he stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms. When he pulled back he looked deeply into her eyes and spoke for the first time. "I know things have been crazy since you got back but none of what has happened changes how I feel about you. I love you and nothing and no-one can ever change that." This time it was Mark's turn to stop Susan from speaking. "I know this means that we won't be able to take things slow but I know that we can make this work. I have wanted to be with you for so long and now we finally can be. We are meant to be together and the fact that in one night together we managed to make a baby just proves it as far as I am concerned." She stood there staring at the man she loved more than anything in the whole world. "Ok, let's give it a go and see what happens." He kissed her forehead and said "Well if we are going to this I want to do it right." He suddenly dropped down on one knee. "Mark what the hell are you doing?!" He looked up at her, his eyes full of love and admiration. "Susan Lewis will you marry me?" She laughed. "I can't believe you are proposing to me in a bathroom! You are crazy!" _

"_The only thing I'm crazy about is you. So is that a yes?"_

"_It's a maybe. I think we should deal with one thing at a time so let's get used to the prospect of becoming parents first then we will sort out the rest."_

"_Whatever you want." He said with a smile._

"_Good. Now will you please get up off the floor before someone walks in here and thinks we have lost our minds!"_

He smiled at the memory. After a few months of nagging her he had ultimately convinced her that they should get married before the baby was born.

**Flashback**

_They had a small wedding in early summer attended by their families, friends and colleagues. When Doug Ross made his best mans speech he addressed a comment he had heard someone make about how rushed Mark and Susan's relationship had been. "In anticipation of this joyous occasion I had already prepared my speech before Mark even asked me to be his best man. In fact I began preparing for this day many years ago when myself and everyone else who knew them realised that mark and Susan were soul mates. Unfortunately it took them a lot longer than any of us anticipated to get here! I overheard a conversation earlier about what a whirlwind romance they have had. Whirlwind! Are you kidding me?! It's taken them ten years to get to this point in their relationship!" This raised a laugh from all of those who had witnessed all the ups and downs of Mark and Susan's relationship. "Only Mark could be hopelessly in love with someone for years, not realise it in time, lose her for five years, get her back, get her pregnant and marry her all within the space of 6 months!" Again the guests laughed. "There is even still an outstanding bet on this between myself and Carter and I am pleased to announce that I have won. The original bet was $100 so I will calculate the interest for the last 5 years and let you know how much you owe me Carter." _

"_No problem Doug, I will write you a cheque." Carter replied with a chuckle._

_Doug turned to the happy couple. "But seriously guys, nobody deserves to be happy more than you two and I am so glad you finally made it. Oh, and feel free to name the baby Doug if it's a boy." He turned back to the guests. "Now I would like you all to join me in toasting the happy couple. To Mark and Susan." _

"What are you thinking about?" Susan's voice startled him. "I was just remembering our wedding day."

"Oh yeah, the day I looked like a beached whale wrapped in silk!" She replied sarcastically.

He looked at her sincerely. "You looked absolutely beautiful."

"Yeah right, you were the one marrying me, you have to say that." She deadpanned.

"You look stunning in anything you wear. Though I do have to admit I much prefer you the way you are right now."

"If I didn't know better I would swear you were trying to seduce me Dr Greene." Susan replied teasingly.

"Now what would make you think that Mrs Greene." He said innocently.

"Hey that's Dr Lewis to you!" She said playfully as their lips met and their hands began caressing each other's bodies.

As they made love for the second time that morning, unbeknown to them, they were creating another chapter in their life together and in 9 months time that new chapter would begin when they welcomed their second child into the world and into their family.

**So that's it finished guys. Thanks again to all of you who stuck with me through it. Please hit the review button and let me know what you thought of the ending. **


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